Written by Scott Swan (author of two John Carpenter's Master of
Horror episodes, Cigarette Burns and Pro-Life),
Toetag's Maskhead tells the sick, demented tale of Syl and Maddie
(Shelby Vogel and Danielle Inks), a lesbian couple who produce extreme
fetish/sex films and interview actors/models looking for parts in their
movies. An acquaintance of theirs, The Cowboy (Daniel V Klein) helps
with the recruiting of actors, and embarks on repugnant adventures on
his own. Syl and Maddie's DVD series involve the actor's partaking in
weird, perverted fetish and sex acts. If actors do not cooperate, they
are viciously dispatched by the title character -- menacingly played by
Mike Witherel -- a disfigured, overbearing hulk of a killer who sports a
metal-wired mask and murders at the direction of Syl and Maddie. One of
the great aspects of Maskhead is the way it toys with
chronology. In this regard, the film plays like a puzzle; we get so
many "pieces" until the ending which puts the entire puzzle together.
In this way, the narrative fulfills the ingenuity as it unfolds in many
unexpected manners. The film trusts its viewers to get a conclusive
enough picture of the flawed characters by avoiding linear convention
and by welcoming in an unorthodox style and idiosyncratic charisma.

Early on, there is a sequence involving the characters of Syl and Maddie
that effortlessly sets a tone for the film. "Do you have what it
takes to be a model?" Everyone wants to be a star and everyone
wants their fifteen minutes of fame. In an amateur promotional video
made by the two, they advertise their underground series and vow to make
any of their hopeful viewers a star. They discuss the most meaningful
traits a model could possess, and the strict rules they must adhere to
in order to be successful, accomplished stars. Their promotional video
fittingly describes the "Maskhead" experience in a nutshell: it is
outrageously humorous and insidiously seductive. Likewise, the video
suggests the film exists in a hypnagogic alternate reality mocking the
media whores of our "pop culture" society. The vain, mocking attitude
of Syl and Maddie are presented right off the bat. Their mean-spirited
nature establishes the type of temerarious mood the movie carries until
its eventual end. The movie magnificently mixes its biting humor with
its dreadful terror, sarcastic wit with methodical brutality and
off-the-wall fetish with abhorrent sex acts.

No movie is perfect, and Maskhead is not without its flaws. The
"puzzle" metaphor works wonderfully when describing its shortcomings.
Maskhead actually feels like it's missing a piece or two. The
pace is so relentless yet the movie leads itself to an abrupt, hasty
ending that feels unsatisfying. While the movie leaves its viewers in
dreadful awe of just how it ends, it leaves them disappointed of WHEN it
ends. The movie is frustrating, if only because you'd want it to unfold
further before it quickly wraps itself up. There are many different
things you'll expect throughout -- for instance, it conjures a need for
CONFLICT and the family dynamic of Maskhead, The Cowboy and Syl
and Maddie to be developed -- yet it throws a curveball and gets rid of
your expectations or predictions. This can truly be both a good thing
or a bad thing. In the case of Maskhead however, it's mostly a
good thing. One of the paramount qualities of the film is how it packs
plenty surprises and feels unexpected at all times. Cold and sinister
atmosphere suggest that at any given moment, something terrible can
happen. There are no telegraphed scenes, as Maskhead remains
unpredictable throughout.

The structure makes the movie feel like a horrible nightmare. The
"feel" is freakishly bizarre and twisted. It has a dreamy surreal
quality that suggests an alternate universe where these characters
reside. It presents a gruesome death of a character we will be
introduced to later on. Deaths of the characters seem to be personal
and esoteric for Syl and Maddie since the deaths are kept from the
camera. The camera cuts away or the short feature depicting their
sadistic treatment by the hands of Maskhead ends rather quickly.
Interestingly, most of the character's deaths are never shown. Torment
and suffering is shown in pertinacious detail in the movie, but actual
deaths are kept broadly ambiguous. This is a wise decision to omit an
ordinary happening in horror movies: deaths. This is not a slasher
flick where it focuses on a helpless teenager is dispatched in a
creative and inventive way. In Maskhead, the violence lingers.
But death is never the "point"; it is merely a device to give meaning to
this fetishistic world. In many scenes, different types of fetishes are
presented -- whether they are subtle or in your face -- and fetish
consumes the characters. A small gripe: there definitely could have
been more nudity to further accentuate the movie's dirtiness.
Nevertheless, the fetish image is a driving force of control and
objectification. It clearly gives the film an authentic, bona fide
identity and separates it from genre features of its ilk.

In Murder Collection Vol. 1 (released much earlier this year),
Toetag Pictures introduced us to a character named Balan, who hosted the
gruesome video collection of death and murder, ala Faces of Death,
and he posed questions and forced his viewers to evaluate themselves and
reflect on their reasons for watching his program. Balan's provoking
thesis is revisited in Maskhead and offers subtext to the surreal
world these characters occupy. These themes elevate this from a mere
violent slasher to a mockingly cruel, bitingly sarcastic commentary on
media's power on one's self-esteem and self-image, the influence of the
media and futility of technology. Syl and Maddie represent the "news",
in the way they bring us FEAR. Daily, we mainly hear about unfortunate
news reports, involving DEATH, destruction and tragedy in our society.
Maskhead, Syl and Maddie's Frankenstein, represents DEATH and
destruction whereas Syl and Maddie respectively serve as
directors/producers/hosts of the "news show" of their unique world.
Their surreal world is a scathing, darkly comic metaphor for our harsh,
dog-eat-dog society. The Cowboy, who has a majority of dialogue
throughout, serves as Syl and Maddie's "news reporter" (their "creative
consultant) -- he is filled with fascinating stories on life's crazy
experiences. His wild monologues, which evoke the best of Quentin
Tarantino dialogue, are simply outrageous and infectiously entertaining.

Sexuality is one of the principal themes of the film. It isn't a
coincidence the lead characters are lesbians and The Cowboy is a
degenerate, sexual deviant. Every male who Syl and Maddie interview in
the video segments are super confident, content with themselves, their
sexuality and image. They brag about their penis size, and swear that
they have what it takes to be a star. There is a fascinating parallel
here that, whether intentional or unintentional, leaves an impression on
the movie and what it has to say about masculinity. The men who brag
about their penis size are, quite simply, outmatched when compared to
Maskhead, who shows his superiority off at the film's shocking
conclusion when he flaunts a 2 x 4 cock! There is much potential with
the monstrous Maskhead. Like Gunnar Hansen's notorious Leatherface,
body language is a huge part of the role, and all the praise can be
given to Mike Witherel's superb depiction of him. No words (except one)
are spoken. A mysterious presence, Maskhead is evil. He is territorial
and a master of his domain, the dingy cellar of Syl and Maddie's warmly
domesticated pad. He demonstrates his dominance when The Cowboy
struggles to carry a box with a victim within. Out of nowhere, Maskhead
viciously grasps his neck, releases him and carries the box himself.

Jerami Cruise, a master of his craft, outdoes himself with exceptional
gore effects. I will not spoil it, but there is an effect so
audaciously disturbing that it indisputably floors you with its badass
technical brilliance. Pain and suffering is littered throughout the
movie. No one is as thorough and strikingly proficient as Toetag
Pictures, who perfectly understand little nuances and details that make
the affliction of violence so traumatic. Directorial credits are
coequally shared between Fred Vogel and Scott Swan. Their collaboration
is a significant one, since it stamps the very first time Toetag
Pictures work with an outsider. Scott Swan lends a helpful hand and
feels right at home with TTP, who deliver their finest work to date.
Among the cast members, who are all equally talented and memorable,
Shelby Vogel deserves an honorable mention for her dark, wicked
performance. She is excellent as Syl, and her relationship with
Danielle Inks' Maddie is touching and sweet. During the dinner scene,
we almost forget they are talking about sadism and murder because they
are in love.

Filled with genuine attention to detail and rich subtext, the
collaboration between Scott Swan and Toetag Pictures delivers stunning
impact. Their Maskhead is comical, filthy, depraved, nasty and
perverse. What turns you on?

The Maskhead DVD features a fascinating Behind the Scenes
featurette hosted by Jerami Cruise who guides the viewer through the
creation of the Maskhead character. The inception of the character and
the make-up work is covered, unfortunately, like the film itself, you
wish the featurette went on longer. It makes you wish Cruise went over
the movie's awe-inspiring special effects, such as a painfully brutal
arm-break and especially a bloody glorious "money shot" at the film's
end. The blooper reel is terrific, but sadly enough, it felt much too
short for my tastes. Like previous Toetag DVD's, Maskhead
features a cool easter egg which showcases Fred and Shelby Vogel
reenacting one of the movie's most bizzare fetish sequences. The
definite highlight of all the features is the Scott Swan and Fred Vogel
audio commentary. You really get a sense of their passion early on.
They talk about the project's inception, how Scott and Fred linked up
and what they initially set out to achieve (the mix of an
underground/Hollywood-style genre film), the writing/casting process,
and its execution. It is a solid commentary track and if you liked the
movie, it's certainly worth listening to. Even though I hoped for a
cast commentary to hear Shelby (who co-shared DP credits for her role)
and Daniel Klein (who can really deliver a monologue perfectly), the
supplemental material is fine until a "Special Edition" is released, in
the hopeful future. Lastly, the DVD also includes the movie trailer and
a neat still gallery.

In conclusion, Maskhead is Toetag's new stunner of a horror movie
that deserves to be in your collection ASAP!